Fifth church–Dead church, but the names of the faithful to Christ are written in the Book of Life.

Revelations 13 Minutes

Revelation 3:1-6

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click here for a description of the image of the beast.

The corruption of five of the seven churches leads to our Lord Jesus Christ opening the Seven Seals, as described in Revelations 4 and also Revelations 5. That leads to the events of the Seven Trumpets of Revelations 8, 9, and 11, the Seven Thunders of Revelations 10, and the Seven Plagues of Revelations 16. The two faithful witness, or two faithful churches [second and sixth Church], are faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ, persecuted, and have little strength. A link to each of the seven churches are at the bottom of this post.

The first four churches involved leaving the first-love of Jesus Christ while doing good works, resulting in the lampstand being removed. Then the faithful of Jesus Christ being persecuted where the temple of Satan exists. Then the churches are filled with people who embrace the worldly agenda, but the faithful to Christ are given “hidden bread” to eat. Then the teachings of the beast, the beast giving people what to speak, do, think, and feel, become part of the teaching of the churches. In the fifth church of this post, the church is dead but the names of the faithful to Christ are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

  • TO: The angel of the church in Sardis.
  • FROM:  He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.
  • Positive Work of the Churches: None.
  • Negative Behavior of the Churches.
  • Repentance is Necessary.
  • Reward for Overcomers.

TO: The angel of the church in Sardis.

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write…” Revelations 3:1a.

The church of Sardis was known by the standards of the world to be alive and well, but our Lord Jesus Christ says that they are dead. They are dead to belief in God the Creator, dead to the testimony of Jesus, and dead to the presence of the Holy Spirit within their life.

FROM:  He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars…” Revelations 3:1b.

Christ Jesus is the One who has the Seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.

We know the seven stars are the seven angels of the churches, as quoted, “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…” Revelations 1:20 Angels are messengers of God, so the angels of the churches are among the dead churches of today, and they see that no one is listening to, preaching, or teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ anymore.

The Seven Spirits of God represents the Holy Spirit being on all seven continents of the planet. The Holy Spirit comes upon everyone whose faith is in Jesus Christ. How can we know if we have the Holy Spirit? If we do not speak against Jesus and can say that He is Lord then we have the Holy Spirit, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

The seven Spirits come from the throne of God, “Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ . . .” Revelations 1:4-5 We also know they are described as blazing lamps, blazing with the Light of the World [Jesus Christ], “In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” Revelations 4:5 We also know the seven Spirits of God have seven horns and seven eyes. “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Revelations 5:6 Horns represent power and authority, symbolizing God’s power and authority on all seven continents. Eyes represent seeing and knowing, which God sees and knows about the death of the churches happening globally.

Today, the message to the church of Sardis is for every church around the world on all seven continents. In the book of Revelations, the number seven is very popular and relates to a global presence. The number seven fits perfectly into the prophecy of the final days of this earth, referring to the seven continents. That’s because the continents weren’t discovered until the time period between the 1950s and 1970s. That corresponds to when the United Nations was established in 1945, immediately after World War Two, and brought the government of the beast with it, as described in Daniel 8:1-14 and also in Revelations 17. The global falling away of the churches from the Gospel of Jesus Christ began to happen at that time, as described in the post on 2 Thessalonians 2.

Positive Work of the Churches: None.

The Lord has no positive words to give to the dead church. The dead church receives their positive words from the secular world around them, which flatters them with a reputation of being alive and well. Our Lord Jesus says, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

Negative Behavior of the Churches:

“I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.” Revelations 1c-2

Our Lord Jesus Christ knows the works being done by the churches of today, that they have a reputation of being alive, but they are dead. Where are the dead churches receiving their reputation of being alive? From the community. The churches of today have formed a partnership with the community in bringing humanitarian aid and entertainment to the social network. They are more visible and alive to the people of the community now than they have ever been before. The dead churches are more alive to humanitarian services for the public than they have ever been known to do before. That’s because the community leaders have made the churches an extension of their agenda to serve human beings while bringing death to belief in God the Creator, death to the need for Jesus Christ, and death to embracing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The community culture lives by the beast that gives them what to do, say, think, and feel, and the churches have formed a partnership with them. By what they are given to say and do, they oppose God, Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. By that alone, we know the churches have abandoned the testimony of Jesus in order to be included and embraced by the culture of the beast. “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

The churches seem to be alive because their congregations are strong in numbers and community service, even though they are weak and dead to the gospel of Jesus Christ. “So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.” Ezekiel 33:31-32 “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?” Psalms 50:16-17

Whatever remains of Christianity, we are to keep our eyes open and to strengthen whatever is left of the way of Christ. Those things that are ready to die are the bruised reeds and smoking flaxes that our Lord Jesus will not harm,
“A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory;” Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed would be like a wilted blade of grass, symbolizing the followers of Jesus Christ who are about to die. As disciples of Christ Jesus, we will not do nor say anything to break a weakened Christian, but we will endeavor to strengthen that person. A smoking flax is like a candle that is still smoking after the flame has been put out. That symbolizes a Christian that was once burning with the Light of Jesus Christ but then becomes only smoke where that flame used to be. As disciples of Jesus, we will not do anything that further snuffs the warmth where the fire of the Holy Spirit once was. Instead, we will do what we can to rekindle the passion for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Christ Jesus has not found the works within the dead churches to be perfect. They are not strengthening the things about to die but are breaking the bruised reeds and dousing Christless humanitarian waters on the smoking flax. The church buildings we see with Crosses, bearing the name of Christ, etc. are just a shell, or skeleton of what the Church once was. What is happening within the churches is far from worshipping God, through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit.“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:12-15

The image to the left portrays a bruised reed and the image to the right portrays a smoking flax.

Click for posts on Matthew 24 concerning the signs of His return.

Repentance is Necessary:

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” Revelations 3:3

How have we received and heard? We received through our born-again experience by believing the testimony of Christ Jesus. We have heard through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which in a verse is this, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16 “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

The churches need to repent of the works leading to their death and to hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our born-again experience is the Gospel written on our heart, so the churches need to return and hold fast to the message of the Cross. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” John 5:24-25

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-

Our Lord Jesus is returning, ready or not, as He said He would, “Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be….But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:27, 36 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37 Click here for a post from Genesis 6, describing how the days of Noah were before the flood.

Reward for Overcomers.

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ Revelation 3:4-6

There are a faithful few who live for Jesus Christ in this world where the churches are dead and have become secular and have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are those who live in the clothing of the Holy Spirit, not having our garments defiled by living according to worldly standards. We give honor to the name of Jesus and lift Him up as Lord, that is evident of the Holy Spirit in us, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

We walk with our lord Jesus in white, which is to walk in His righteousness, “…and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…but through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:9-11 We are worthy only because He is worthy. When God sees His Son Jesus in us, He counts us worthy to be called His children, and Jesus Christ calls us His brothers and sisters, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” Hebrews 2:11

As followers of Jesus Christ, our spirit [garments} is not defiled by the teachings of humanism, which is the fig leaf worn by those who live and govern for the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel. Humanism is “…an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.”

We who overcome the atheism of this world will be clothed in white garments, referring to when we enter into the eternal New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth, “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Revelations 19:8

All of this world serves the power of darkness through the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel, but we who hold to the testimony of Jesus have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of life, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:8 The “him” in that verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

We who remain faithful to Jesus Christ, even as everyone else opposes Him, He will acknowledge us before God the Father and the holy angels, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32

Click here for pictures of a flyer from a local fallen church.

Click for a post on Isaiah 28:7-8 about “The ministers of the churches have erred, have deviated from the way, err in vision, and stumble in judgment.”
Click for a post on Isaiah 28:9-10 about “To whom will the corrupt ministers teach the knowledge of Christ and the message of the Cross?”

The Seven Churches

I found this laying on the ground near to my front door on July 30th. This church is just one of the many lively and wealthy churches in the city. There is another church that is known for its fireworks extravaganza in August, and another one that is known for its “Trunk or Treat” extravaganza in October. The music is fun, lively, good-feel music but no real Gospel roots. It almost recreates the environment of a county fair. Every church in this city is on the same sheet of music, and the chords are composed by the global culture of the beast. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a part of what they do.


“…to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.”
Revelation 2:24-25

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